by Pamela Keyes
Thresholds, doorways to the unknown, Markers of hospitality and welcome
At journey’s end, or is it a beginning?
Places of paradox, standing in the now,
One foot in what was, one foot in the not yet.
Is my body leaning forward or backward?
Where is the pull coming from?
Stones ‘neath my feet help me to dwell in the hope And possibility of space.
How will I sing my song in this new land?
When I sang soprano with the Eastman Rochester chorus,
At the threshold of each new piece of choral music,
We would spend the first night’s rehearsal marking off the rests in the score.
The musical priority was not about singing the correct notes Nor the pronunciation of the text,
Whether it was English, Latin, or German in origin.
The priority was the cutoffs for the rests,
Creating the pausing spaces that gave definition to the score. If the pausing spaces were not truly silent of sounds,
The effect desired by its creator would be lost.
Help me to embrace the importance of silence, of pausing spaces, As I begin to sing my new song on the other side of the threshold.
For more, consider joining Friends Day of Prayer on March 4 @ 9:30 am – 3:00 pm.